We an organization puts together a proposal for acquiring certification to a particular standard; one of the critical information is to figure the cost required for it. What budget should be allocated for the project, and what cost is needed for maintaining the certification?

The information helps in getting the project approved and to judge if the expected benefits are actually justified. So, let’s take a look at the primary items that should be on the budget list and how these items may vary.

Cost of Purchasing Standards

The first thing you must spend money on is on purchasing the copy of the particular standard. The document is indeed a must-have, or otherwise, it will be hard to know what you are actually trying to achieve conformance to.

For every standard, there may be various supporting codes of practice that can enhance your knowledge about how to fulfil the requirements. Also, there are many standards documents which can help in filling the gaps in areas like implementation approach, risk assessment, scope and others, depending on how much budget and help you need.

Internal Resources

Perhaps the most significant expense is the existing employees’ time, spent in putting extra procedures in place and in running them consistently. This cost can be estimated on a daily or hourly basis and depends on the amount of work that is involved in a particular organization to reach the point where it aligns with the particular standard.

Training

Training commonly falls into two major areas; internal training for the new procedures, controls and processes put in place and external training for the standard and its audit and implementation.

While various qualifications and training will cost differently, you may find the precise cost via Google search for the ones in your area. However, the internal training cost may depend on the amount of change required for the procedures and processes. Such training may include process-specific courses and awareness training in areas like risk assessment, change management and problem management.

Conclusion

It is worthwhile to get a clear idea of the cost and at the earliest possible before you head towards acquiring online ISO certificate so that you don’t face any unwelcome surprises.

Generally, it is advisable to minimize expenses as much as possible. While it may not be possible to cut cost in all the discussed areas, it is essential to get in touch with a consultant and use their insights to make your certification journey productive.